The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

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The CBS Super Bowl stream had record numbers. What’s the next step in making eSports more mass market friendly?

There’s not one single next step, but an evolution across all fronts. We’re continuing to innovate our programming. We’re finding new ways to make our audience feel invested. We’re devoting more and more resources to tentpole events. And the huge spectator numbers and increase in mainstream sponsors/advertisers means that eSports is at a tipping point: It’s only a matter of time before the genre moves from niche to mainstream.

How have you seen your eSports audience grow since you first started covering pro gaming?

Our strategy of reaching new audiences through partnerships with Twitch TV and other video providers has paid off, with a significant increase in unique viewers (up 57 percent in August year-over-year) and video streams (up 2,000% year-over-year).

What potential do you see for eSports on television in the future?

Great potential. We’re not there just yet, but over time. I do think it’s important to point out that, while we see great potential for TV audiences to embrace eSports, there’s still incredible room for growth online, which offers a high degree of freedom and creativity.

How have you seen advertisers gravitate to eSports streams?

Brands are very much interested in aligning with eSports teams, players and the genre as a whole. We’re certainly seeing more interest from brands like Qualcomm, Samsung and Virgin, which find the genre a very viable way to reach new audiences. Especially appealing to advertisers is the much larger than normal lengths of time audiences will spend with live gaming video.